There are two types of court reporters. And, no, this is not the preamble to a joke. The two types of court reporters are:

Official court reporters. These are employees of the court system. They have fixed salaries and benefits. And, they also earn a per page fee for the transcripts they produce.

Freelance reporters. These are independent contractors who work for court reporting agencies. They make up about 70% of the work force. Most of the work they do is taking depositions (testimony of witnesses taken under oath outside the court room).
However, they may also cover meetings, conferences, and conventions.

In addition to court reporting, shorthand reporters can also work in a number of other related fields, where their skills are directly transferable. One of the primary technological advances that has opened up these new opportunities is Computer Aided
Transcription ("CAT").

Real-time reporters use CAT systems to provide instantaneous testimony on monitors. These systems are used in court rooms, during depositions, at conventions, or in classrooms. They are a tremendous benefit for hearing impaired judges, jurors, witnesses, attorneys, audiences, and pupils. This technology also helps judges and attorneys review the record and it allows students who have difficulty hearing the lecturer in large auditoriums to read the proceedings and obtain notes for review.

Captioning Careers

Closed captionists use real-time technology to translate television broadcasts, providing on-screen text for hearing impaired viewers. As a court reporter, you have the skills to work in this field. Closed captionists work for broadcast and cable television stations, capturing news, emergency broadcasts, sporting events, and other programming.

Captionists have also begun providing services for radio. They apply their skills to simulcast talk shows, news, and sports shows on the Internet or other online services.

Anytime there is a need to make the spoken word available in text form, captioners can provide the service. Captioners even work in high schools, medical clinics, business offices, and newspapers. The applications are almost endless.

Medical/Legal Transcriptionist

Transcriptionists work with recorded material rather than real-time speech. The transcriber plays back the material, which has been dictated onto audio cassettes or dictation systems, and transcribes it into text for medical or legal reports. Even
court reporters with basic skills can do this type of work much faster than typists.

Rapid Data Entry

Hospitals, insurance companies, law enforcement agencies and many other businesses have a constant flow of data that must be input into their computer systems. Using a steno machine, with the aid of a CAT system and additional grammar checking software, shorthand reporters can perform this work significantly faster than typists.

Cyber-Conferencing

Shorthand reporters capture sales meetings, press conferences, product introductions, and training seminars, instantly transmitting them to all parties involved, via computer. As participants speak into telephones or microphones, a shorthand reporter translates their words in real-time. The words "instantly" appear on everyone's computers. Any relevant document or graphics can also be transmitted.

Some speech recognition systems try to simulate the work done by shorthand reporters. However, they often have high error rates and are unable to understand multiple speakers. Shorthand reporters can write accurately at speeds in excess of 200 words per minute and participants can receive the text through the Internet, online services, or their own intranet.

Scopists

Generally, scopists are used by court reporters to proofread and edit transcripts. A scopist working for a court reporter might be compared to a paralegal working for a lawyer. Scopists take a "rough copy" of the proceeding and read the stenograph-to-English translation, checking for any "mistranslates." The rough copy may be received by the scopist on a disk, via email, or through simultaneous transmission. Once the scopist has made any necessary edits, the transcript is returned to the court reporter. Scoping is an ideal career for a person who prefers to work at home.

More detailed information about each of these and other exciting career options for court reporters, along with numerous Internet links to key resources, is available in the Court Reporter Job Guide. Some of the options I discuss in the eBook will allow you to earn a great part-time income at the same time you are studying to become a court reporter. Get your copy of this comprehensive resource today.
 

Charles Dickens' early days as a court reporter in London's parliament became the subplot in his novel, "David Copperfield."

Building your speed as a court reporter takes practice.  We offer several categories of digital dictation materials, which will allow you to progressively build your speed from 60 words per minute (wpm) to more than 220 wpm. Each category of dictation has numerous titles, so you will always have access to a wide variety of fresh new practice digital dictation materials, as your speed increases.
 

Upcoming newsletters will include articles on many important subjects that will help advance your court reporting career.  Following is just a sample of some of the articles you can look forward to receiving.
 

	Buy a New Steno Machine for Peanuts!
	Resume and Cover Letter Writing Secrets Revealed!
	Interview Questions & Answers!
	Start getting paid for your court reporting skills, even before you become certified!
	The Best Place to Buy High-Quality Court Reporting Supplies at the Lowest Cost!
	Grow Your Court Reporter Business and Expand Your Income!
	Court Reporter Home Study Programs!
	How and where to find a Mentor!
	Voice Writing - The Future of Court Reporting?

If there are other subjects you would like me to cover, please let me know.

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